Epigraphia Indica Vol 09

SR No.: 032563
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: E Hultzsch, Sten Konow
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1907
Total Pages: 498
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 28 MB

Page 22

No. 2.)
VASANTGADH INSCRIPTION OF PURNAPALA.
11
The inscription contains 23 lines of writing which covers a space of about 2' broad by 1'44" high. At the upper proper right corner part of the stone is broken away, so that between about 15 and 2 aksharas are missing at the commencement of lines 1-9. Otherwise the writing is well preserved and may be read with certainty nearly throughout. The size of the letters_ between and f". The characters generally differ little from the ordinary Nagari, but they include a few signs which are peculiar to the earlier Dorthern inscriptions. The letter b every where is denoted by a sign of its own, and the secondary & is often written by a superscript line; once in Tuashfuh-prasádat, I. 13) we have the sign of the upadhmániya; and once (in bharyan, 1. 12) the conjunct ry is made up of the full sign for r and the secondary form of y. Between verses 32 and 33 and at the end of the text a conch-shell has been engraved, and between verses 33 and 34 a circular ornament. The language of the inscription is Sanskrit, and, excepting the words asy-Anvaydapi and nagar-Anvayôæpi in lines 8 and 13, the whole is in verse. Both the language and the verses often are incorrect, and as a piece of literary composition the inscription is worthless. Here, to show how very limited was the author's knowledge of grammar, I need only point out forms such as namam, 1. 5, vismam, 1. 9, védmaih, l. 14, and vyôme, 1. 21 (for nama, véíma, vismabhih, and vyômni), from passages regarding the reading of which there cannot be any doubt. And what liberties were taken by him, simply for the sake of the metre, in the spelling of words, may be seen from instances like Parnnápála-, l. 7, samdhi-, 1. 19, svapana-, 1. 15 (for Pärnnapála-, sandhi-, sopana-), eto.
The object of the inscription is, to record that a queen named Labiņi, a younger sister of the Paramara Pärnapala and widow of a king Vigrahardja, at Vaţa (Vaţa-nagara, Vatapura) restored an ancient temple of the Sun, and restored or founded a tank (vápí), apparently the very tank where this record has been found. And the inscription is divided into three parts, the first and second of which give the genealogies of Lähipi and Vigrahardja, while the third glorifies the town Vata and the pious work executed there by the widowed queen. The whole is introduced by two verses, in one of which (so far as it is preserved) the author pays homage to Mahesvara (Śiva), Prach@tasa (the poet Valmiki), and Våņi (the goddess of eloquence), while in the other he invokes the protection of the god Hari (Vishnu).
Verse 3 relates that through the anger of the sage) Vasishtha there was produced a youth or prince (kumara) from whom the Pramêra (or Paramara) family took its origin. In his lineage there was Utpalaraja; from him sprang Aranyardja, and from him Adbhutakfishnaraja. His son (or, if a name should have been lost at the commencement of line 4, his son's son) Was Mahipals, and from bim sprang Dhandhuka. To Dhandhuks there was born from his wife Amțitadhvi Purnapala, who ruled the Arbuda territory (bha-mandalam-Arbbudasya). In his reign, his younger sister Lahipi was married by king Vigraha (Vigraharaja).
Vigraharaja's genealogy, in verse 12, commences with a twice-born named Yota, who by his bravery aoquired the title of king (bhúpa). In his lineage there was the king (nripa) Bhavagupta, who, after restoring the temple of the Sun dwelling at Vata' (Vafa-vási-bhanu), reigned at Vata. In his lineage, again, there was Samgamaraja, who ruled Badari in Vamsaratha. From him sprang Durlabharaja; from him, Chacha; and from him, Vigrahardja, who, as stated
1 The author's mistakes have been more fully pointed out in the notes on the text. The inscription emphatically teaches us that the mistakes which may be found in an inscription need not necessarily be ascribed to the writer or engraver.
In line 9, verse 13, the word is used in the plural (Vatiahn), and in the inscription of Varmalata, mentionod above, the place appears to be called Vakarasthana.
• See o.g. Bp. Ind. Vol. II. p. 190, verse 13. In the present inscription we have the name Pramdra in verse 8, and Paramdra in verse 10. The name is written Prandra also in the unpublished Bhirupda insoription of Parnapals of the [Vikrama) year 1102, of which I possess impressions.
• In the Bharunda inscription mentioned in the preceding noto Parpapila i mid to rule the Arbuda-mandala. The inscription actually has frimaroudamandalas praideato).